Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,053 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,608 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,163 in Durres.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 111% more expensive than Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Durres is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$9.39 ALL 767

72.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$35.05 ALL 2,862

84.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.18 ALL 586

44.57%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.92 ALL 157

44.27%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.92

$1.62 ALL 132

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.84 ALL 68.3

86.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.34 ALL 191

49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.36 ALL 275

19.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.02 ALL 165

-46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.86 ALL 70.6

102.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.93 ALL 158

-9.84%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.94 ALL 240

8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$10.42 ALL 851

28.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$7.78 ALL 635

2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$13.18 ALL 1,076

22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.19 ALL 97.5

91.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.34 ALL 191

-26.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.30 ALL 106

49.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.14 ALL 93.5

122.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.11 ALL 90.4

64.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 ALL 80.5

106.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.13 ALL 92.6

75.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.62 ALL 50.7

37.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.99 ALL 326

71.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$11.27 ALL 920

-48.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.68 ALL 137

-18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.75 ALL 143

65.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.45 ALL 36.74

406.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$18.03 ALL 1,472

159.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.57 ALL 292

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.13 ALL 174

-61.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$17.76 ALL 1,450

2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$2.21 ALL 180

-9.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K €30.2K

$15.4K ALL 1.3M

128.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.5K €32.9K

$25.7K ALL 2.1M

49.50%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$145 €124

$66.3 ALL 5,414

119.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.96 €17.94

$17.73 ALL 1,447

18.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$16.07 ALL 1,312

149.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.33 ALL 3,048

30.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$60.1 ALL 4,903

-68.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$7.26 ALL 593

24.79%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$607 €519

$180 ALL 14.7K

236.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,417 ALL 360.6K

269.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$38.32 ALL 3,128

173.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$39.82 ALL 3,251

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$84.0 ALL 6,856

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$153 ALL 12.5K

-22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$426 ALL 34.8K

276.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$316 ALL 25.8K

291.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$598 ALL 48.9K

409.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$422 ALL 34.5K

386.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,824 ALL 149.0K

322.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,142 ALL 93.2K

273.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$844 ALL 68.9K

87.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.33

-28.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Durres: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $426 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 88% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $241 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 88% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $426 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,053 in Durres – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 160% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,053 in Durres versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,053 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Durres are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.